Australian delegation asks Adani to drop mine project
Delegation hands over letter signed by 90 prominent names, including Greg Chappell and Ian Chappell, at group’s headquarters
Adani Group’s plan to build one of the largest coal mines in the world in Australia, which got a green signal form the Federal and Queensland state governments at the end of last year, has run into new protests.
This time, some eminent Australian names, including former captains of their cricket team, Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell, have urged Adani to drop the $21.7-billion Carmichael coal mine project near the Great Barrier Reef.
In a letter to group chairman Gautam Adani, the signatories say, “It would be a great shame if this one project were to damage the image of India in Australia.”
A delegation from Australia visited the Adani head office in this city on Thursday to give a ‘No Adani Coal Mine’ letter to the company. It has been signed by 90 personalities from that country, including business leaders, sporting legends, authors, musicians, economists, artists and community leaders.
Apart from the Chappell brothers, the names include singer Missy Higgins, Pulitzer prize winning author Geraldine Brooks; Ian Dunlop, a former head of the Australian Coal Association and several others.
An Adani Group spokesperson confirmed the development and said, “We have received a letter today from Geoffrey Cousins of ACF, whose legal challenge has been dismissed by the Australian courts. We categorically reject such motivated letters of representation by a very small group of 76 misled people. The proposed mine has been cleared after rigorous assessments and strict conditions.”
The Group says the proposed mine is supported fully by people in Queensland and their elected representatives. It would help in providing energy security to millions of Indians who were without electricity, while creating thousands of jobs and economic benefits for Queensland in particular and Australia in general.
The project in Queensland’s Galilee Basin is set to see the start of construction this year. It involves dredging of 1.1 million cubic metres of spoil near the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which will then be disposed off on land.
The Australian citizens’ delegation also plans to meet politicians, business representatives and civil society leaders here. Businessman Geoff Cousins says, “The Queensland Premier and mayors are on a dangerous junket to promote a damaging project. We are in India to tell Adani that Australians do not want this coal mine and will continue to fight it tooth and nail.”
Adding: “Coal is a dirty, dying industry and polls show the majority of Australians are appalled that Adani is getting a $1-billion handout of public money to finance a project banks won’t touch. We would welcome Adani’s investment in solar instead.”
The letter noted that Carmichael would be the biggest coal mine ever dug in Australia. Once its coal is burnt, goes the protest, it will contribute more climatechanging pollution to the atmosphere than the entire country of New Zealand does every year.
Also: “Coal is the biggest single cause of air pollution in Australia.. .Coal burning is a key contributor. Black lung disease has re-emerged in Queensland, afflicting 19 coal mine workers.”
The delegation claimed that this mine proposal does not have wide public support in Australia and does not have the support of the traditional owners of the land where the mine would be dug.
There are concerns about the impact the mine will have on groundwater resources and on nearby farmers who rely on this water for their livelihoods.
The letter claims: “A recent poll showed 75 per cent of Australians would prefer the funding went towards renewable energy, not infrastructure for coal companies.”
It also alleged that the Queensland and federal governments were bending over backwards to fast-track this project. “True, they have changed water laws, stripped farmers of appeal rights, are attempting to change native title laws and have earmarked $1 billion of public money to build the rail line,” it read.